North Branch Land Trust

What North Branch Land Trust does

North Branch Land Trust (NBLT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land conservation organization headquartered in Dallas, Pennsylvania, that protects natural and working lands across eight counties in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Founded in 1993 as the Back Mountain Regional Land Trust and rebranded in 2000, the trust has accumulated 22,000+ acres under protection through three primary instruments: conservation easements (70+ executed), direct land ownership (1,500+ acres of public preserves), and transfers of land to public agencies such as PA DCNR — most notably the Howland Preserve, which became Vosburg Neck State Park. The organization has been accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission since 2008.

NBLT operates a multi-channel nonprofit revenue model that includes individual donations, memberships, event fees, merchandise sales, corporate sponsorships, and project-specific grants, with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) serving as a material recurring funder — exemplified by an $850,000 grant supporting the Hanover Reservoir and Penobscot Mountain acquisition. Corporate partnerships have expanded to include Pennsylvania American Water, with whom NBLT placed a 220-acre conservation easement on the Huntsville Reservoir in 2025 protecting a drinking-water source for roughly 30,000 people.

The trust runs a small staff of roughly 5–8 FTEs supported by a 19-member board and a volunteer base, and pursues research and educational collaborations with the Smithsonian, Longwood Gardens, and Misericordia University. Following the 2021 appointment of Ellen Ferretti — former Pennsylvania Secretary of DCNR — as Executive Director, the organization is now conducting an open Executive Director search, indicating a planned leadership transition. The underlying technical stack is standard nonprofit GIS and land-records tooling; no proprietary technology platform is described.

Name

North Branch Land Trust

Legal name

North Branch Land Trust

Website

https://nblt.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

North Branch Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded 1993, that protects 22,000+ acres across eight Northeastern Pennsylvania counties through conservation easements, public preserves, and land transfers to public agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Conservation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Real Estate (6500)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH), Conservation & Protected Land Brokerage (Easements, Land Trust Sales) (BPAJADAH)

Keywords

• Land conservation
• Conservation easements
• Natural land stewardship
• Environmental education
• Watershed protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships supporting conservation events, community programming, and educational initiatives.
2. Donations & Charitable Contributions: Individual donations from supporters who want to protect land, water, and natural habitats in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The organization receives no state or federal dollars for administrative costs, relying entirely on private contributions.
3. Membership Program: Annual membership program offering benefits including complimentary or discounted admission to events, exclusive member gatherings, and mailed newsletters.
4. Merchandise Sales: NBLT branded merchandise including apparel sold through Givecloud e-commerce platform. Proceeds support conservation mission.
5. Event Fees: Fees charged for educational events, workshops, nature journaling series, and annual banquet events like the Barn Banquet.
6. Grants & Government Funding: Grant funding from DCNR and other sources specifically for land acquisition and conservation projects (not administrative costs). $850,000 DCNR grant mentioned for Hanover Reservoir acquisition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

North Branch Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works with private landowners to establish voluntary conservation easements that permanently limit land use, and it owns and manages public-access preserves and sanctuaries across Northeastern Pennsylvania. It also delivers environmental education programming, volunteer opportunities, and a membership program to support its conservation mission.

Product overview

North Branch Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit land conservation organization that operates as a single integrated conservation service rather than a platform. Its core offerings center on permanent land protection through conservation easements, management of public preserves and sanctuaries across eight Northeastern Pennsylvania counties, environmental education programming, and community engagement through membership, volunteerism, and events. The organization protects over 22,000 acres of watershed lands, agricultural lands, woodlands, scenic lands, and critical wildlife habitats. Supporting programs include the Faber Internship Program for conservation education, the Litter Free environmental awareness campaign, The Horizon seasonal newsletter, and NBLT merchandise sold through GiveCloud ecommerce. The portfolio is unified by the mission to conserve Northeastern Pennsylvania's land and water, with conservation easements serving as the primary mechanism for permanent land protection and preserves providing public access and stewardship.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Conservation Easements
• Preserves & Sanctuaries
• Conserved Lands Management
• Environmental Education Events
• Membership Program
• Faber Internship Program
• NBLT Merchandise

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDCNR is a key partner providing grant funding for land acquisitions and conservation projects. NBLT transfers conserved properties to DCNR for long-term management (e.g., Vosburg Neck State Park, Pinchot State Forest). Partnership includes $850,000 grant for Hanover Reservoir acquisition.
• Land Trust AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization supporting land trusts across the U.S. NBLT is an accredited member. Provides standards, best practices, and advocacy for land conservation.
• WeConservePAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPennsylvania-specific conservation organization producing high-resolution maps of conserved land and publishing the Land Trust Census report that ranked NBLT #8 in the state.
• Earth ConservancymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with NBLT on a 2016 grant conserving over 1,000 acres along Penobscot Ridge Highlands. Earth Conservancy contributes to Faber Scholarship Fund and has reclaimed over 2,000 acres of mine-scarred land while conserving nearly 10,000 acres regionally.
• CAN DO, Inc.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with NBLT in 2011 to facilitate the Valmont Bog Sanctuary project in West Hazleton Borough and Hazle Township.
• Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage CorridormajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBLT spearheads the D&L Trail project (Laurel Run to Oliver Mills segment) as part of the 165-mile D&L Trail from Bristol to Wilkes-Barre. Project began in 2015 with support from local partners and DCNR.
• PPL CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on the Valmont Bog Sanctuary project alongside CAN DO and DCNR.
• Native Orchid ConferenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner studying unique ecology at Valmont Bog Sanctuary alongside Longwood Gardens and Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.
• Smithsonian Environmental Research CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific research partner studying ecology at Valmont Bog Sanctuary.
• Longwood GardensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific research partner studying unique ecology at Valmont Bog Sanctuary.
• The Luzerne FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts the Mary Louise and Eberhard Faber Scholarship Fund at The Luzerne Foundation, funding paid internship programs at NBLT for students passionate about land conservation.
• Pennsylvania American Water CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric 2025 partnership for 220-acre conservation easement around Huntsville Reservoir, permanently protecting drinking water for over 30,000 people. First-of-its-kind water company conservation effort.
• Luzerne County Conservation DistrictmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransferred Hanover Crossing Marsh Sanctuary to NBLT as part of a wetlands mitigation project from the former Hanover Industrial Park Complex.
• Butler Enterprises, Inc.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer property owner collaborating with NBLT since 2010 to create the Butler Preserve in Hazle Township.
• Greater Hazleton Area Civic PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with NBLT, DCNR, and Butler Enterprises on the Butler Preserve project.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/northbranchlandtrust
• Instagraminstagram.com/northbranchlandtrust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles26 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about North Branch Land Trust